This invention relates to vessels having an effective rectangular hull, and in particular a floating home type vessel which is easily maneuverable and which has sails.
Many people enjoy vacationing in floating homes, often known as "houseboats". They are normally low freeboard and shallow draft vessels intended for use on inland waters. They would not be safe at sea. These vessels typically are powered by one or more propellers at the stem to propel them forwardly. Steering is accomplished either with the use of a rudder or by rotating these rearwardly positioned motors. In some cases the boat may be moved backwards by reversing the propellers. This works well in small boats. However, larger boats (i.e., boats in excess of fifty feet) do not have the maneuverability of small boats and the use of only stem mounted propellers makes these boats difficult to maneuver.
These vessels typically use a large amount fuel when they are operated. It would be desirable to provide sails on the vessel which may be used in lieu of the motors or in combination with the motors to reduce the amount of fuel used. However, a typical "houseboat" is not a good sailing vessel without means to greatly increase maneuverability because the shallow draft promotes leeway when close hauled, coming about is difficult or impossible, and the blunt hull form has high drag which increases both defects.